Week 2 Story: She Was Just Love Drunk
It's sunny and 75 in Malibu, California. Three sisters sit in the lush home on Malibu, Canyon road. Two of the sisters are twins, Brit and Benz. They sit with their legs crossed, exposing the red bottoms of their heeled shoes and sporting matching scowls of discontent on their faces. The third sister, and the misfit of the trio, was named Bel-Air. While she's grown up in such a privileged life, she quite honestly hates it.
Their mother walks in the home, worn from a busy day of real estate. This isn't a tale of a family who comes from money, their mother works very hard. Brit and Benz seem to never realize this detail. To them, their mother's money should go directly to them. Unlike the twins, Bel-Air is aware of how hard their mother works to keep up with the lifestyle they've become so accustomed to.
"Twin darlings, I know your sweet 16 is coming up. What can I get you to put a smile on those faces?" said the mother.
In unison, the twins replied,"We want range rovers and we want Cartier to make the wheels."
Tiredly, the mother replies, "I am unsure if Cartier makes wheels...but I just want to make you two happy so I will pay whatever it takes. Bel-Air dear, while I'm out, would like me to pick you up anything?"
"If it isn't too much of a bother, would you go by the Winery and pick me up a bottle of Rosé," she politely asked.
And so the mother was off to the dealership where she successfully fulfilled the twins hefty request, at a high price I may add. On her way home, she swung into the winery to quickly pick up the Rosé. The winery was desolate. Not a soul was working, therefore she was unable to purchase the bottle. Not wanting to disappoint her only grateful daughter, she thought to herself that she would leave a note an d some cash and pick a couple of grapes. She knew her daughter would love the idea of them creating their own Rosé together.
Her perfectly manicured nails had just reached for a grape when a unbelievably attractive man appeared.
"May I help you miss?" he questioned.
"My daughter requested a bottle of Rosé, I thought we could create one together. I am willing to pay for any grapes I pick," replied the startled mother.
"Your daughter must come here. Bring her to me or I will hide you in a barrel where you will never be found."
The mother could tell he was serious. Despite his good looks, his heart was clearly filled with evil. The mother promised to return with the daughter and quickly hopped in her Range Rover.
When she returned home, she called the police and reported the man's threat. To her surprise, when the police knocked on the door for her statement, it was the attractive man who appeared.
He forcefully took Bel-Air and swept her away. When Bel-Air reached the winery, it felt like a different land. Where had he taken her? This could not be California?
The man told her, you have a week to make my grape vines flourish, or I shall break your heart into a million pieces. Literally, he told her.
Bel-Air had a talent for growing plants due to her relaxation and wellness summer camps. She soon made the grape vines grow into the biggest, juiciest grapes in the valley.
The man's heart began to soften, his intent of evil disappeared. When Bel-Air told the man her work was done, he explained his curse.
When the man was a boy, he had been playing in his families vineyard. He entered the warehouse where they stored their most precious cases of wine. Clumsily, he bumped into a shelf and broke all of the bottles. His family cursed him to have an evil heart, for no one could ever love someone so stupid and careless.
He requested that Bel-Air share one bottle of Rosé. Bel-Air agreed, seeing no harm. Little did she know, this wine was a love potion in disguise.
After three sips, she fell deeply in love with the man. And so they were married in the vineyard.
The man's heart had softened, he truly did love her but just did not know how to make her love him. This was the only way. While he was in love, she was just love drunk.
Author's Note: This story is based on the story The Key of Gold by Josef Baudis (1922). There are some very key differences in my telling of the story. I wanted to create a modern day beauty and the beast, so I made changes to modernize the gift requests as well as other aspects of the story. I also made the family rich rather than poor, and changed the names to cleverly express the privilege this family held. Instead of a happy ending where the beast truly changes and the beauty truly loves him, I created an ending where the beast does not truly change. Though he thinks he is achieving love in a way that is acceptable, he is actually just manipulating Bel-Air into loving him through him love wine/potion.
Bibliography: The Key of Gold by Josef Baudis (1922)
I thought the contrast of your retelling compared to the original was very interesting. To make the family rich instead of poor, but there is still the same level of unhappiness in this wealth. Unique choice! I also liked how the "beast" in your story did not truly change, I think that is more interesting than the original, and a little bit more realistic.
ReplyDeleteHi Brooklin, I really enjoyed your retelling of the original story. I think it’s quite interesting how instead of making the monster in the story turn into a human, you made the monster be a human originally and fall in love with the girl. I also enjoyed how you changed the three roses into a bottle of Rosé. Overall, I think that this was a great and unique retelling of the original story.
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